The 500-pound lion, who rules the jungle and is at the top of the food chain, can easily take down any animal it wants for sustenance, especially the smaller ones. In the savanna, lions are thought to be formidable predators, but while ʜᴜɴᴛing porcupines, the small rodent usually wins.

Porcupines are herbivorous mammals that grow to be 60 to 90 cm long and weigh only 5 to 12 kilos. They eat twigs, leaves, and various plants to sustain themselves. They are small rodents, therefore their only means of defense are their quills. Lions, on the other hand, are strong predators that consume other creatures. When food was in short supply, they even started eating porcupines.

Studies show that the lions are being forced to consume these small animals since their natural prey are becoming less plentiful. Porcupines have quills, so when they assault them, they suffer injuries.

A porcupine’s quill is made of the same material as human hair and nails. The porcupine’s quill catches on their flesh when the lion or other predators approach them without using enough caution. Male lions that are young and unsᴋɪʟʟed make up the majority of the injured or, worse, deceased victims. Because they are young, they are not aware that porcupines can pose significant ʀɪsᴋs.

Let’s see what happened when this leopard take on a porcupine:

Source: gert de koker